Rob Carr/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice issued an apology to fans in a letter issued to The Baltimore Sun on Friday.

Rice was suspended by the NFL after punching his then-fiancée in an elevator and is trying to find his way back onto an NFL team this season.

"The last seven years that my family and I have spent in Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives," Rice said in the letter. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love and support you've shown my family and I throughout my football career. We'll always be grateful for the love we've received from all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl."

"To all the kids who looked up to me, I'm truly sorry for letting you down, but I hope it's helped you learn that one bad decision can turn your dream into a nightmare," the letter continued. "There is no excuse for domestic violence, and I apologize for the horrible mistake I made. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope to make a positive difference in people's lives by raising awareness of this issue."

The Sun reported that Rice plans on moving to New York while he waits for the NFL team to come calling.

Rice has played in six NFL seasons, all with the Ravens. During that time he's rushed for 6,180 yards and 37 touchdowns while also catching 369 balls for 3,034 yards and six touchdowns.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images(BOSTON, Ma.) -- Tom Brady respects Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh, but believes the Patriots did nothing wrong in their win over the Ravens in Saturday's AFC Divisional match.

Brady, on his weekly radio appearance on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan Show, explained that trick plays, deception and misdirection are all part of football.

"Let me say first, I have a lot of respect for him as a coach, and obviously that team is one of the toughest teams we face. It's always a tough match-up," Brady said.

"It was a play that we liked and we thought would work. We had a couple versions of it. It's kind of an alert play for our team, and we made them figure out what to do," Brady continued. "I think that's what it looked like to me. We had to execute it, we had to make the appropriate calls and block it and make the plays, and I was proud of us. That was a good weapon for us. That's part of football. You have to prepare for everything."

The issue lies in the Patriots lining up four offensive linemen and one wide receiver that declares as ineligible. A player that is ineligible cannot cross the line of scrimmage until a pass is thrown or on a running play. The Patriots did this on three plays.

The Ravens took exception to this because of the difficulty in figuring out whom to cover. Harbaugh was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty during the game when he ran onto the field to alert an official of the issue.

The NFL ruled that what the Patriots was legal as defined by the rule book.

In his first season in Baltimore, Smith proved he can still be a number on receiver as he led the team in receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,065). It was the most receiving yards in a single season by a player 35 or older since Rod Smith had 1,105 yards in 2005.

"It was a GREAT season this old man played for you and my teammates," Smith said in post on Instagram. "I've enjoyed every moment and couldn't have asked for a better fan base. Look forward to a better season next year and watch us go WIN IT ALL."

On Saturday, Smith became the 13th player in NFL history with 1,000 career receiving yards in the playoffs.

After 13 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, the team let Smith go despite being the best receiver in team history.

National Football League(OWINGS MILLS, Md.) -- Despite the chance to become a head coach once again, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak will return next season.

"It is flattering and humbling to be invited to interview for a number of NFL head coaching positions, and I greatly appreciate these opportunities, but I have decided to stay with the Ravens," Kubiak said in a statement released by the team.

Kubiak had spent eight seasons as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2006-2013, but was fired following a 2-14 season. He came over to Baltimore and led the Ravens to their highest offensive ranking in 17 years.

"This is a special organization and we, like [Head] Coach [John] Harbaugh says, are building something great," Kubiak said. "I want to be a part of that and contribute in whatever ways I can."

The Ravens set a franchise record for points scored in a season (409) in 2014.

Rob Carr/Getty Images(PITTSBURGH) -- With just over eight minutes to play, Terrell Suggs intercepted a tipped Ben Roethlisberger pass. On the next play, Joe Flacco hooked up with Crockett Gillmore for a 21-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach as the Baltimore Ravens go into Heinz Field and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-17 Saturday, in the AFC wild-card playoff game.Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was on point all game, completing 18 of 29 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns.Meanwhile, the Ravens defense got after Roethlisberger all game, pressuring him ten times, five of those ending up in sacks.The Ravens sealed the game with under three minutes to go when Roethlisberger threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Darian Stewart.The No. 6 seed Ravens will now make a trip to Foxborough where they'll take on the No. 1 seed New England Patriots at 4:35 p.m. ET Saturday with the winner earning a trip to the AFC Championship game.

National Football League(OWINGS MILLS, Md.) -- Baltimore Ravens head of security Darren Sanders was charged Tuesday night with a fourth degree sexual offense, according to law enforcement.

Sanders, a former Baltimore police homicide detective who has been a member of the Ravens organization for more than ten years, is accused of groping a woman and pressing against her inside the stadium after a December game.

ESPN reports that Sanders has been put on paid leave, which is in line with the NFL's personal conduct policy. He also won't travel with the team when they head to Pittsburgh for the team's first playoff game against the Steelers on Saturday.

If convicted, Sanders could face a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. His lawyer denies the claims. A hearing is set for Feb. 9.

Rob Carr/Getty Images(BALTIMORE) -- The Ravens enter Sunday's game against the Texans holding onto the final spot in the AFC playoffs.

With the Chiefs and Chargers right behind them, Baltimore understands the importance of getting a win against Houston.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said he expects it to be a tough game on the body. "Every time we play Houston, it's always extremely physical," he said Wednesday. "They're always committed to running the football; they have one of the best backs in football [Arian Foster]."

Baltimore is 4-3 on the road this season and Houston is 3-3 at home.

"We've played down there a good amount," Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco said. "It's not going to be a new scene, we've played against most of those guys, how much that really matters, I don't know."

Houston Pro-Bowl defensive end J.J. Watt has recorded seven sacks in the last three games for a season total of 16 1/2, which is third in the league.

When asked what will happen if Watt gets to him on Sunday, Flacco said, "I'm going to pick myself up off the ground. I don't know who hits me; I hope it's not him. I hope it's not any of them."

(BALTIMORE) -- The Ravens are bringing in free agent cornerback Antoine Cason to add depth to the secondary, according to the Baltimore Sun. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Ravens have lost five players in the secondary to injury this season, and two others were cut because of poor performance.
Cason entered the season as the starting cornerback for the Carolina Panthers. The seven-year NFL veteran was released last week after being benched for the second time this season. He has 58 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games this season.
The Ravens rank 15th overall in the NFL on defense.
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Scott Boehm/Getty Images(OWINGS MILLS, Md.) -- The Baltimore Ravens will be without one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL for the rest of the regular season. Haloti Ngata has been suspended four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Ngata will be eligible to return to the field if the Ravens make the playoffs, but he will lose $2.1 million because of the suspension.

"I made a mistake, and I own this," Ngata said in a statement. "I took Adderall and take full responsibility for doing this. I am deeply sorry and broken up over this. I let down my family, my teammates, Ravens fans and myself. My hope is that the Ravens make the playoffs, and I believe they can do this. And, then I can come back and help us win."

The 30-year-old Ngata has been with the Ravens for his entire nine-year career and is a five-time Pro Bowler.

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images(BALTIMORE, Md.) -- Eddie Royal's one yard touchdown catch with 38 seconds left gave San Diego a 34-33 lead as the Chargers (8-4) stunned the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon. San Diego scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and were able to keep pace with Kansas City and Denver in the AFC West.

The Ravens (7-5) opened up a 10 point lead in the fourth quarter, 30-20, with less than seven minutes to play in regulation. Philip Rivers then marched San Diego 77 yards in just over two minutes, finding Keenan Allen on a 23-yard strike to pull his team within three.

Baltimore added a field goal, one of four by Justin Tucker on the day, to lead by six with 2:22 remaining in the game. Once again, it was Rivers leading the Chargers down the field. With under a minute to go and the ball on the Ravens 24-yard line, Rivers launched a deep ball to the endzone intended for Royal. The pass was incomplete by a pass interference call on Anthony Levine put the ball on the 1-yard line. San Diego then ran a bubble screen to the left where Royal walked into the endzone untouched.

San Diego's defense held on the final possession, not allowing Baltimore to get within field goal range. Rivers finished the day with 383 passing yards and three touchdowns, also throwing one interception. Joe Flacco tossed for 225 yards and a pair of scores while Justin Forsett rushed for 106 yards for the Ravens.

(NEW YORK) -- Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice won his appeal of an indefinite suspension from the NFL and has been reinstated into the league.

The 27-year-old Rice is now free to sign with any NFL team.

"I would like to thank Judge Barbara Jones, the NFL Players Association, my attorneys, agents, advisors, family, friends and fans -- but most importantly, my wife Janay," Rice said in a statement released by the NFLPA on Friday. "I made an inexcusable mistake and accept full responsibility for my actions.

"I am thankful that there was a proper appeals process in place to address this issue. I will continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes."

Rice received an indefinite suspension from the league on Sept. 8 when it was found he violated the NFL's personal conduct policy after a video surfaced of him hitting his then-fiancée Janay Palmer.

Rice was originally suspended two games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for the incident. That prompted Rice to appeal the indefinite suspension saying the NFL couldn't suspend him a second time for conduct the league already knew about.

Rice has played in six NFL seasons, all with the Ravens. During that time he's rushed for 6,180 yards and 37 touchdowns while also catching 369 balls for 3,034 yards and six touchdowns.

Scott Boehem/Getty Images(NEW ORLEANS) -- Justin Forsett rushed for a career-high 182 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Baltimore Ravens to a 34-27 win over the New Orleans Saints on Monday night.

It was Forsett's second touchdown of the night that helped the Ravens (7-4) pull away while on the road.

"The offensive line did a great job of making those lanes open for me," Forsett said. "I just tried to seize the moment."

The game took on a competitive mood from the start, before ultimately turning combative late. Baltimore opened the scoring in the first quarter when Joe Flacco and Steve Smith, Sr. connected for a 15-yard touchdown pass.

New Orleans (4-7) countered with a scoring drive of their own, capped off by Drew Brees' 10-yard strike to Jimmy Graham.

After Forsett's first touchdown scamper gave the Ravens another lead, the Saints scored 10 straight points to take a 17-14 lead into halftime.

However, Baltimore received the second half kickoff and promptly tied the game on Justin Tucker's 31-yard field goal. The game then took a turn as Brees was picked off by Will Hill, who returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, allowing the Ravens to regain the lead.

A Shayne Graham field goal got New Orleans within one possession, but Forsett broke a 20-yard run off the left side to make it a 34-20 lead with less than three minutes to play. The Baltimore defense would hold strong, only allowing a last minute touchdown pass from Brees.

Both teams remained at, or near, the top of their division standings. The Ravens are a half game behind Cincinnati (7-3-1) in the AFC North while New Orleans is tied with the Atlanta Falcons (4-7) in the NFC South.

Scott Boehem/Getty Images(OWNINGS MILLS, Md.) -- The Baltimore Ravens were hoping to eventually get cornerback Jimmy Smith back onto the field this season, but that won't happen after he underwent foot surgery on Thursday.

Smith sprained his left foot back on Oct. 26 in the opening drive of the team's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"The plan for Jimmy was to do more testing once the swelling subsided in his foot and that was done this morning," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "With this exam this morning, the doctors decided that he needed surgery and repaired the injury. That means Jimmy is finished for the season but will recover for our offseason program."

This is a tough blow for a Ravens defense that was already struggling to stop the pass this season. Smith is considered the team's best defensive back. The team is now down to just three healthy cornerbacks.

The 26-year-old Smith was the 27th overall pick by the Ravens back in 2011.

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images(PITTSBURGH) -- For the second straight week, Ben Roethlisberger threw six touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Baltimore 43-23 on Sunday night. Roethlisberger's performance helped set an NFL record for combined touchdown passes in consecutive games, with 12.

"I don't think any of us are surprised by anything he does," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "We have been looking at it for some time."

Big Ben's night began in the second quarter with a five-yard scoring pass to Le'Veon Bell that tied the game at 7-7. Two minutes later, Roethlisberger connected with Martavis Bryant to take the lead before finding Markus Wheaton for a 47-yard strike to give the Steelers (6-3) a 22-17 halftime lead.

Baltimore (5-4) struggled to keep their composure, committing 10 penalties, while the offense could not catch up to the Steelers. Joe Flacco was sacked four times and intercepted once but did throw two touchdowns for 303 yards.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh quarterback continued his historic stretch with three more touchdown's in the second half, including a second pass to Bryant. His sixth came on a fourth-and-2 play with under two minutes remaining as he connected with Matt Spaeth to set the record.

The Steelers also celebrated one of their greatest ever, retiring former defensive lineman Joe Greene's number 75 at halftime.

Scott Boehm/Getty Images(OWINGS MILLS, Md.) -- While getting ready for a pivotal game against their NFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens will have to do so without top cornerback Jimmy Smith as he'll miss the next few weeks with a sprained left foot.

Smith suffered the injury on the opening drive of the team's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

"He'll be back soon," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Monday.

Aside from being one of the top defensive backs on the team, Smith is emerging as one of the top young cornerbacks in the NFL. He leads the Ravens with eight passes defended.

The Ravens are thin when it comes to cornerbacks now -- Ladarius Webb, Dominique Franks, Chykie Brown are the only healthy corners the team has.

At 5-3, the Ravens and Steelers are tied for second in their division, with the Bengals holding a half-game lead over both teams at 4-2-1.

Rob Carr/Getty Images(BALTIMORE) -- The Baltimore Ravens will have the spotlight to themselves after the Orioles were knocked out of the ALCS by the Royals on Wednesday.

Fresh off throwing five touchdown passes, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is making sure his team does everything they can to prepare the right way after blowing out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

Flacco said the biggest challenge the team will face after an easy win is "coming in here and reminding yourself and everybody to put the work in. I think that comes naturally for us, it's something we're good at doing, once you get out there on Sunday everything takes care of itself."

Concerning Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, Flacco said: "We were in the same class. As long as you're still talking about us, we're somewhat relevant, so I guess that's a good thing. It's nice to see that we are still relevant."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh knows the Falcons will be hungry for a win after losing three in a row.

"Atlanta's good. They're going to be on turf, so they're going to be fast," Harbaugh said. "They've got big, fast receivers. They've got fast running backs, and they got a quarterback that drives the whole thing. That's an explosive football team, and we've got to be ready for them."

The Ravens will host the Atlanta Falcons, who are 0-3 on the road this season.